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This section discusses the importance of integrating climate change into planning
and points to a few related challenges and opportunities.
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There are many types of planning: spatial planning, economic planning, etc.
Planning for climate change can mean the integration of adaptation and mitigation
in these existing processes, or it can refer to planning processes that are dedicated
specifically to climate change, such as the development of a national climate change
policy.
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The impacts of climate change are already felt worldwide and countries need to plan
and implement adequate response measures. Many countries have already
integrated climate change in their national development plans. However, often
mitigation and adaption responses are actually implemented by sectoral institutions
and local governments. Therefore, all spheres of government need to work closely
together in addressing climate change.
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Due to the complex nature of climate change it is not possible to make one single
government department responsible for implementing response measures. Climate
change action need to be planned and integrated at multiple levels, from the
national to the local. In addition to ‘vertical’ coordination, climate change planning
also needs to be coordinated ‘horizontally’, i.e. between different sectors. For
example, a National Adaptation Plan needs to engage various sectors such as
agriculture, forestry, water, planning, finance, education, etc. The coordination
between sectors is not an easy task since relevant responsibilities are often
fragmented with different departments.
Depending on the political system of a country, variations exist concerning the
division of decision-authority and accountability structures. It is therefore important
that climate change planning processes are aligned with the specific political system
of each country.
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Planning for climate change should ideally be integrated in existing planning
processes. By means of a strategic planning process at all levels of government,
existing entry points can be used to address climate change. Various policy
frameworks such as trade policies, employment policies, industrial policies, skills
development policies, social protection policies and sector policies can be used to
implement climate change response measures. Screening of new projects, for
example new infrastructure, can also be done through a climate-lens.
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Stakeholders are defined as “all agencies, organizations and individuals that could be
affected by decisions made.” Those concerned with climate change policy and
response measures range from businesses to trade unions to academic institutions
and civil society groups. The involvement of relevant stakeholders in decision making
process is expected to enhance the quality of the decision as well as to increase buy-
in to ensure effective implementation. The involvement of all interested parties can
also help to enhance coordination and avoid duplication of efforts.
Department of Environmental Affairs , South Africa (2011). Governance of Climate
Change in South Africa. p 27
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The participation of all stakeholders in the decision-making is an important element
of good governance. There are also seven other principles which are recognized to
be elements of good governance. These principles ensure that corruption is
minimized, decision-making processes are transparent, and that the voices of the
most vulnerable in society are taken into account. If basic elements of good
governance are missing it is difficult to implement effective planning processes for
climate change.
UNESCAP (2014). What is Good Governance?
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There are several challenges to climate change planning. For example, lack of
coordination between various government departments can lead to duplication of
activities or worse, activities which cancel each other out. Monitoring and evaluation
processes for climate change planning are often imperfect as they concern various
sectors and institutions.
Moreover, climate change is a scientifically complex issue, and precise data, in
particular at the local level is often missing. It can be therefore challenging to
convince decision makers that action is necessary and to determine which action is
the most appropriate.
Finally, climate policy can also be costly in the short term with no easily predictable
benefits. This makes the prioritization of the issue difficult when confronted with
other, more apparent, issues.
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Scientific uncertainties (e.g. about the specific impacts of climate change in a
particular region) can be used to justify inaction. There are different approaches for
dealing with these uncertainties.
No regret options: These are options that generate direct and indirect benefits. For
example, reducing energy consumption in the industrial sector reduces greenhouse
gas emissions, while at the same time reducing electricity costs for businesses. No
regret options are hence actions that generate direct or indirect benefits that are
large enough to offset the costs of implementing the options.
The precautionary principle: This principle supports taking protective action before
there is complete scientific proof of a risk. That means action should not be delayed
simply because full scientific information is lacking.
WTO (2013). SPS Training Module, Module 8
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This section explains why climate change is important for national and sectoral
planning and presents the role of different institutions.
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Climate change measures need to be closely interlinked with national planning
processes. For example, if a country has an international obligation to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by a certain amount, then this goal needs to be
considered in national planning. Or, if a country has identified certain economic
sectors as a priority in its development plan, then climate change action should also
focus on these.
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National governments can influence and strengthen climate response measures by
setting incentives for adaptation and mitigation actions, for example by setting a
price on carbon dioxide emissions. National institutions also set and an overall policy
framework within which lower levels operate. These priorities can be reinforced by
specific budget allocations towards particular sectors or activities.
National institutions are often the best positioned to facilitate coordination between
different sectors and other government institutions. For example, if a country wants
to introduce a carbon tax then this needs to be coordinated with all concerned
sectors, including inter alia energy, transport, industry, agriculture, etc.
International relations are also managed nationally and it is the responsibility of
national governments to ensure that international treaty obligations are adhered to.
Examples of international agreements that are linked to climate change include inter
alia the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United
Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, and the United Nations Convention
for Biological Diversity.
OECD (2009). Integrating Climate Change Adaptation into Development Planning,
p70
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To plan and implement climate change adaptation and mitigation measures several
stakeholders at the national level need to work together. For example, if the
parliament is deciding to introduce a flood insurance programme, including
governmental subsidies for insuring buildings in flood-prone coastal areas, then the
Ministry of Finance needs to allocate sufficient resources for the programme in the
national budget. In advance of introducing the programme, Parliamentarians might
consult with members of the research community to better understand future flood
risks in the context of a changing climate. They can also consult with civil society
groups to gather information about the perspective of people living in flood-prone
areas or with private insurance companies about the practicability of the
programme.
OECD (2009). Integrating Climate Change Adaptation into Development Planning,
p72
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In this video by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), a
representative from Kenya is explaining how the country plans to mainstream
climate change in national development planning. He discusses in particular funding
needs and opportunities.
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The impacts of climate change are different from sector to sector. For example,
climate change is expected to have an important, direct impact on agriculture and
forestry through changing precipitation patterns and temperature increase. Other
sectors incur mainly indirect impacts. For example, the labour sector might be
affected through the migration of workers from drought-prone rural areas to cities.
Similarly, different sectors have different impacts on climate change. For example,
the industry and transport sectors have an important, direct impact on greenhouse
gas emissions. The education sector, on the other hand, has a more indirect impact
on emissions, for example through the introduction of climate-friendly practices in
school curricula.
Ultimately, climate change may have an impact on national priorities, which might
mean that sectors find themselves with a greater of smaller amount of funding. This
needs to be taken into account in sectoral planning.
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Sectoral institutions contribute to managing climate change through both bottom-up
and top-down approaches. For example, if a country develops a National Adaptation
Plan, it usualy takes into account existing sectoral experiences and priorities
(bottom-up). Once the National Adaptation Plan is adopted it needs to be
implemented in all concerned sectors (top-down).
OECD (2009). Integrating Climate Change Adaptation into Development Planning,
p95-116
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Sectoral stakeholders include line ministries, sector-specific commissions,
parliamentary committees that focus on sectoral issues as well as research
institutions, civil society organizations, business associations and labor unions. For
example, in the case of climate change adaptation in the water sector, the Water
Ministry plays a central role as it is responsible for formulating policies and setting
standards for irrigation, equitable access, productivity, etc. Water commissions can
facilitate trans-boundary information exchange and cooperation, while water
management and planning boards provide technical inputs into planning processes.
Civil society organizations can play a central role in defending interests of vulnerable
water consumers.
OECD (2009). Integrating Climate Change Adaptation into Development Planning,
p97
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This section discusses why climate change is important for the sub-national level and
looks at the role of different institutions in the planning process. In the context of
this module, sub-national governments are defined as provincial, departmental, local
and municipal institutions.
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Climate change is often a highly localised affair. Areas of close geographical proximity
may face very different adaptation and mitigation challenges, and thus require
different time- and location-specific approaches. These local variations make climate
change (in particular adaptation) suitable to sub-national government action.
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Sub-national planning and regulation, largely in the form of by-laws and land use (or
strategic) planning and zoning. For example, regulation can be used to prevent
people from settling in flood-prone areas.
Delivering low-emission and climate-resilient goods and services, for example by
building climate-proof infrastructure or maintaining healthy forests.
Sub-national fiscal revenues, raised in the form of taxes, fees and charges, which can
provide incentives or disincentives for the ways in which climate change issues are
managed (or mismanaged).
UNDP, UNCDF and UNEP (2010). Local Governance and Climate Change
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A range of stakeholders are involved in climate change planning at the sub-national
level. For example, local governments and city councils need to take into account
climate change when developing plans for infrastructure, housing, and land use.
Municipal utilities need to climate-proof the delivery of public services (such as
water and sanitation). Civil society organizations can document and share
information on climate change, and share experiences and lessons learned from
pilot projects. Public-private partnerships between sub-national governments and
businesses can enhance the implementation of local mitigation and adaptation
plans.
OECD (2009). Integrating Climate Change Adaptation into Development Planning,
p145-182
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The Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform (AKP) has been
building bridges between existing knowledge on adaptation to climate change and
the governments, agencies and communities that rely on this knowledge to inform
their climate change adaptation decisions and policy. This case study of the Lao-oi
district in Thailand illustrates a framework for mainstreaming climate change into
community development plans.
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This section presents a five-step methodology to develop Low Emission Climate
Resilient Strategies (LECRDS) that includes all governmental institutions in
developing a coherent and efficient response to climate change.
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A number of methodologies have been developed to integrate climate change into
development planning at different entry points. A good strategy to ensure that
development planning is taking climate change into consideration is to prepare a
low-emission climate-resilient development strategy (LECRDS). A LECDRS enables
countries to employ diverse policy options in a coordinated manner. The creation of
a LECRDS also helps to attract and direct public and private investments.
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The following slides set out the key stages in preparing low emission climate resilient
development strategies. Additional details will be provided for some particular steps.
The slides are based on a guidebook by the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
UNDP (2011). Preparing Low-Emission Climate-Resilient Development Strategies
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First and foremost it is important to establish a strong and competent team that can
lead the LECRDS. After existing climate information, plans, assessments and policies
are reviewed the team will have a better understanding of the country’s current
position and policies that are in place. After establishing a steering committee,
composed of high level officials, policy and technical working groups can be
established from representatives from national, regional and local sectors as well as
from the private sector and academia. Technical capacity needs are to be identified
and training of decision-makers are to take place before a communication and
awareness raising strategy is decided on.
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Once key stakeholder have been engaged in the planning process, climate change
profiles and vulnerability scenarios can be prepared. The first step is to establish
inventories for ‘business as usual scenarios’ for GHG emissions as a baseline to work
from. Thereafter project scenarios for future emissions need to be developed and
vulnerabilities of environmental, social and economic systems need to be assessed.
Based on these scenarios and assessments current and future vulnerability maps can
be produced.
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The next step is to identify the strategic options leading to low-emission and climate-
resilient development trajectories. After climate profiles and vulnerability scenarios
are reviewed it is necessary to determine emissions reduction targets and to identify
possible options to achieve these targets. It is essential to identify the main sectors
that contribute to GHG emissions and to plan different low-emission climate resilient
development scenarios that can be followed. The impact of the different scenarios
on predicted vulnerability of a given region must also be assessed. Based on future
emission scenarios and vulnerability, low emission climate resilient development
objectives can be defined and relevant priority adaptation and mitigation options
can be identified.
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In order to implement priority climate change actions, policy and financing options
need to be identified. The first step is to perform a technical, social, feasibility and
cost benefit analysis of adaptation and mitigation options listed as a priority. Barriers
that can hinder implementation need to be analysed. At the same time, existing
policies and financing opportunities need to be evaluated and the investment and
financial flows that are required to implement priority actions also need to be
identified.
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After successful completion of the initial steps and after the results of all steps taken
are compiled and synthesized, it is important to prepare a roadmap. This roadmap
needs to be reviewed and approved by the LECRDS steering committee. Climate
coordination committees should review and validate the draft roadmap. The
finalized roadmap should be distributed widely and presented to key public and
private financial actors.
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Daniela Stoycheva from the UNDP office for Europe and Central Asia presents a
regional project to support countries in developing LECRDS. Kazakhstan is the first
country to start the UNDP project.
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This section introduces a few international initiatives supporting climate change
planning.
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On the mitigation side, the EU-UNDP low emission capacity building programme
supports national low emission development strategies and enhanced measuring,
reporting and verification systems. To date 25 countries are participating in the
programme.
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Different international initiatives support national adaptation planning. For further
information see also Module 4.
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ICLEI is an international association of local and metropolitan governments that is
committed to sustainable development and support cities to become more
sustainable, resilient, resource-efficient, biodiverse, low-carbon, to name but a few.
The GreenClimateCities (GCC) Programme builds on the Cities’ for Climate Protection
Campaign, another ICLEI initiative that was the first global campaign of local
governments addressing climate change. The GCC is a process that is tailor made to
the requirements of local governments and the methodology covers three phases:
“Analyze, Act and Accelerate”. It outlines how low emission options can be identified
and integrated into urban development policies, plans and processes.
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The project Capacity Development for Adaptation to Climate Change & GHG
Mitigation in Non-Annex I Countries (C3D+) seeks to improve the capacity of
research and training institutions in developing countries to support climate change
adaptation and mitigation action. The project brings together nine partners which
collectively form a knowledge and capacity development network, where each
centre contributes its specialized experience to develop and apply tools and
methodologies to support decision-making for climate change adaptation and
mitigation. The project is led by the United Nations Institute for Training and
Research (UNITAR).
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